Roosting Rooks!

Sometime before Christmas I was in Ballymoney, waiting for the Wee One to finish her cello practice.  The light was falling fast and the car park was full of mums and dads waiting like me.  Most were sitting in their cars, presumably with the radio on, killing time until their little ones escaped from orchestra practice.  But it wasn't a cold night and since I like a dander about I took the old camera out to see what opportunities presented themselves.  And what a treat was in store.  It was one of those windy autumn days and the sky was full of rooks - and I mean full!  They were doing what rooks do best, swirling around in the wind like they are out of control, all the time communicating loudly with each other.  I love watching and listening to rooks as they roost - one of nature's treats for sure.  They are such sociable birds.  At one point a whole bunch of them descended onto the roofs of the school buildings, only to take off again and head up into the sky for more flapping about.  Like something out of a Hitchcock movie.  Anyway, I pointed the camera upwards and snapped off a couple of shots, as you do.  More in hope that anything else to be honest.  When I looked at the negatives the other day all I could see was blur - nothing there I thought to myself.  But I did scan them, just to see and this is what I found:

Rooks - loads of them!

What a sky!  I must admit I quite like this one and it might well see the darkroom once it gets commissioned.

The second one I like too - in a different sort of way.  As you will know if you are a regular reader (!) I'm a big fan of Titarenko - anything that goes against the prevailing obsession with sharpness.  I mean, there is a place for sharpness and all that - but sometimes you just have to turn things on their head, don't you?

More rooks

I think this captures the movement quite nicely.  It would be fun to try some more shots like this, perhaps using a tripod next time :)